1. Field
The aspects of the disclosed embodiments generally relate to granting access to a system, and are particularly, but not exclusively, suited to a system enabling mobile payment of a service.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
There are multiple ways to pay for goods and services. Credit cards, debit cards etc are widely used way to pay instead of cash. In addition to general type of payment methods, there exists payment methods which are based on vouchers, gift cards etc issued as a return for prepayment by a merchant himself or by another entity. Many merchants accept also so called value notes (such as Lounasseteli™ in Finland), gift cards, present cards, vouchers.
One example of such prepaid system is lunch voucher (such as Lounasseteli™ in Finland) where an employer pays before hand for given number of lunch vouchers to issuer of vouchers. Said vouchers are then given either as bonus, fringe benefit or as part of salary to employees. Employees can use the vouchers to pay for lunch or dinner in restaurant by giving the voucher as payment to merchant. Merchants then send vouchers later to issuer of the vouchers and receive money.
A particular problem experienced with such system with vouchers is the amount of manual work needed in handling distribution of vouchers from voucher issuer to an employee via an employer and then back from an employer to the issuer via a merchant. Additional problem is the delay between use of a voucher and transfer of money to the merchant. In addition pre payment of vouchers from employer point of view lead to increased costs and tying up capital.